Light in the Darkness
by fracture-girl
Summary: Quindi is left shaken after she kills a man when he tries to take advantage of her. However, she finds love in the man she least expects it from: Lucien, from the Dark Brotherhood. Read and Review please!
1. Ambush

**Hey everybody! I'm sticking to my trend of writing for almost extinct groups of stories. I was playing Oblivion yesterday and realized that Lucien, one of the Dark Brotherhood guys, would make a great character in a Fan-Fic! I mean, he's tall, dark, and mysterious… Everyone loves a bad boy, right? And I'm not letting him die like the game does (sorry for anyone who didn't know that happened…)My main character's name is Quindi, and I'm making her a human. (Same w/ Lucien.) So, that brings us to the story… Enjoy!**

People had always told me that I'd end up in bad places when I was older. I never did too well in school, not that girls were expected to. I would sneak up on people without even trying, and after a while, I used this to my advantage—pick pocketing was an easy way to make money.

Once I was old enough to be just an annoyance in my house, I enrolled in the Arena the first chance I got. The training was tough, but it was better than the life I left behind. Archery, sword-bearing, heavy armor, light armor, repairing, spell-craft… The list of things to learn in order to become Grand Champion seemed endless, but I slowly worked my way up the ranks in a few weeks. There was no use making friends in the Arena, as they could be killed at any moment. I noticed that one of the other competitors eyed me quite often, a half-human, half-elf man named Ruidri. One night, as I slept on my bedroll, I felt a light tap on my shoulder.

"Quindi, wake up," a gruff voice whispered. I rolled over groggily, finding myself face-to-face with the Ruidri. He was the current Arena Grand Champion, a tough-looking man. "I need to talk to you."

I followed him to the far corner of the Bloodworks, stepping over sleeping bodies in the dark. He was intimidating and tall, almost a full foot taller than I was, and I could see the reflection of the scattered moonlight in his eyes. The light filtered in through the grating above, and he put his hands on my shoulders.

"You're thinking of challenging me, are you not?" he asked.

"Yes...I wish to become Grand Champion."

"Quindi…"

"What is it?" I whispered, though the fact that his hands were on me was making me increasingly uncomfortable.

"I know that one can't make friends in the Arena, but you and I… well, I've noticed you looking at me, and I've certainly watched you…"

I took a step backwards, but he took one closer.

"What are you implying?" I asked, trying to take another step back but hitting the wall. I realized with panic that I was out of sight of the other Arena contestants, in a secluded corner with a man I didn't know.

"You know, relieve a little stress?" Ruidri replied, closing the gap between us and running his hands down my sides. He licked my jaw, and I froze.

"And if I said no?" I said shakily.

"It wouldn't really matter, I suppose." He said, capturing my mouth in a too-hot kiss. I could taste alcohol on his lips, and refused to open my mouth to his probing tongue.

"Loosen up." He said, slapping me across the face. When my lips parted from the slap, he took advantage of this by plunging his tongue to the back of my throat. I stopped struggling, as I knew he would hurt me a lot more if I didn't succumb to him. I had to think… though the fact that Ruidri was holding me to the wall would probably inhibit most of my plans. Unless…

I tried to shove him away, but Ruidri caught my wrists and pinned my arms above my head. This was not good. He worked his hand up my shirt, and I knew I would only have one chance to make this work. I pointed my fingers toward his head in the certain way, and focused my entire energy on casting this one spell… And he would never see it coming.

My ancestor guardian appeared directly behind his head, and began attacking him abruptly. Ruidri's mouth left mine as he turned to defend himself, the action also releasing my wrists. While my guardian attacked him with weak, distracting blows, I pulled the knife out of my ankle strap and without a second thought, slit his throat. His eyes got very wide, and blood gushed from his neck and onto the floor. He gave a horrible, shuddering wet gasp and collapsed on the floor, a hand to his injured neck. Blood continued to seep from his fingers, and my ancestor guardian departed.

I knew I had to get out of here as fast as I could, and tried to block what I had just done from my mind. I packed my bedroll and other necessities, my fingers trembling. With one look back at the Arena Bloodworks, I ran out the door and into the dawn.

**So there it is, the first chapter! Yeah, I know, it's pretty short, but quality over quantity, right? Review, even if you're not an Oblivion player. Gracias.**

**-FractureGirl**


	2. The Hunt

**Here we are, chapter 2! A note: Oblivion owns all of the places, but I own the characters Quindi and Ruidri! If anyone wants to borrow them, they have to go through me first. Thank you… and enjoy!**

With my pack over my shoulder, I weaved through the already busy streets. I tried to block out the image of Ruidri's body from my mind. Luckily, I had some clothes that weren't one of the Arena raiment packed, but for now I was in a simple cotton dress that would blend in with the crowd. I had to get out of Imperial City, preferably as fast as I could. The other Arena members would find Ruidri's body soon enough, and the further away from it I was, the better. Though it's not like he would be missed…

The guards stopped me on my way out of the main gates, singling me out either because I looked so jumpy or because I was human.

"Where are you headed to, ma'am?" he asked in a slow, Imperial drawl.

"Camping trip in the woods."

"Alone?"

"Well, I can't exactly find myself when there are other people around, can I?" I asked as cheerfully as possible, even throwing in a forced laugh.

"Alright, you can go." He opened the door, and I brushed past him. Once I was out of sight of the city walls, I broke into a run. Birds crooned in the trees, and the sun started to warm the crisp morning air around me. If I didn't know what had just happened, I would be taking the day off to stroll in the forest or swim in the sea. Not today, though. I had to keep running.

I saw a stream up ahead, and knelt down by it. I splashed my face a few times with the icy water, then took out my knife stained by Ruidri's blood. My hands shook as I tried to wash the blood off of my knife. The water turned an orange coppery color for just a moment, then the stream was clear again. I put the dagger into my leather ankle strap, and pulled out my blood-drenched night-shirt and pants from the night before. Since these garments would take more than a simple dunk in the creek to get clean, I scrubbed at the clothing until my hands were red from the cold water and friction. I had gotten slightly hysterical without even realizing it; breaths shuddering through my chest, and body weight rolling from toe to heel as I rocked on the ground. My thoughts ran in a circle.

_I killed someone…. I killed someone….I killed someone… I saw the blood seep from between his fingers as he bled to death…He was never coming back…He tried to rape me…I killed someone…_

My stomach flip-flopped. If anyone found out about this… I couldn't go back to Imperial City, at least not for a while. I had to blend into another town or spend time in the wild, though I preferred a town. I referred to my map and decided that I would begin my trek toward Cheydinhal once my clothes were dry. I took a few deep breaths, which seemed to calm my stomach, and I flexed my fingers to control the shaking.

By the sun's angle in the sky, it was about 3:00 in the afternoon; If I had left at around 7:30 in the morning, then ran for a while, then washed my possessions, I had been running for a lot longer than I thought. I cupped my hands and took a long drink from the creek. The icy cold water was refreshing after the run and the long hours of the hot sun beating down on my skin, but it wasn't enough. I was hungry. I had a feeling that while living in the wild, my knife was to be bloody a lot more often if I had to hunt animals to eat. I saw a rabbit running in the forest about 10 yards away. I gripped my dagger; this was a good chance to improve my skills in the wild. I changed my position into a crouch, the rabbit's ears cocked to listen for noises. I slowly shifted my weight to my front foot, easing toward the bunny. It still didn't notice me, and I was in the perfect position to spring. I sprung forward with my arms outstretched. The blade hit right between the ears; the rabbit died instantly.

It was a gruesome way to live, but I would make it. It would just take some getting used to.

**Reviews are always appreciated! hint hint! **


	3. Invitation

**3****rd**** chapter. Woo-hoo! Have fun reading… Thank you reviewers! I have a few things to say to you guys. **

**First off, Kenfare007! Muchisimas gracias, and I'll have to incorporate the Babel thing in later! Lol. **

**99luftbalons: You're right about the ancestor guardian thing… I don't really have an excuse for that one. Ha ha… Maybe her great grandmother was a dark elf or something?**

I had finally lit a reasonably sized fire by nightfall, which gave me just enough time to cook my rabbit. Noises had dulled and faded in the dense woods with the light in the sky, setting me a little on edge. The atmosphere in the woods felt thick from the different layers of sound and sight. I was in solitude.

The fire cracked and popped as I lay out my bedroll for the night, thankful that my sleep-clothes were dry from baking in the sun. I lay awake for a long time in my bedroll, whether from the cold, noises, or thoughts of the past I do not know, but I eventually drifted to sleep…

It was a strange, dreamless slumber that I had, which surprised me. I had expected to have violent, vivid dreams of blood and fear. When I awoke, the sky was still much too dark for it to be morning, and I knew that I had not slept long. I rubbed my eyes and stretched. Not five yards away from me, I heard the snap of a twig. I shot straight up, and I was immediately alert.

"Who's there?" I asked, happy that I had kept the quaver from my voice. "Show yourself, I demand it." I pulled my knife out from under my pillow and slowly stood up. The woods were painfully quiet as I strained to hear, but then, the sound of quiet breathing reached my ears. I charged toward from where the noise was coming from, but my toe caught on a root of a nearby tree. The dagger flew from my hands as I fell through the air and landed on the hard-packed dirt. My ankle throbbed, and I could no longer hear the sound of breathing.

"Damn," I swore, feeling in the dirt for my knife to no avail. How was I so stupid to have only packed one? If I had lost it and had at least a week and a half to Cheydinhal by foot… I struggled to my feet and turned back to my campsite. Just as I had reached the edge of the clearing, someone spoke from behind me. Directly behind me. The voice was a perfect tone of warmth and security, yet sounded like it could be turned much more serious and sinister if desired.

"Looking for this?" he asked.

"Oh!" I spun around, shocked to be face-to-face with a man in a black cloak and hood. He held out my knife by the point so I could take it by the handle. I snatched it from him.

"What were you doing, watching me sleep?" I asked him, shocked.

"Yes, actually. But there were reasons… I'll get to those later. First, let me introduce myself. I am Lucien, of the Dark Brotherhood."

We had walked back to camp, and I had sat down on my bedroll.

"The Dark Brotherhood?" I echoed.

"You slept soundly for a murderer," he said softly. Murderer? I was stung by the term…it was in self-defense after all.

"You broke my ankle." I retorted, gesturing toward my leg. I was startled to be in a man's presence in my loose cotton pants and silk camisole (my night-clothes), and even more shocked when Lucien sat down, facing me on the bedroll.

"Let me see your ankle," he said. I hesitated, so he took my foot in his hands and swung it into his lap. He gently pushed back the cloth and inspected it. "Not broken… Just sprained."

"Thank you for that in-depth inspection," I said, sarcasm at the edge of my voice. "So what is the Dark Brotherhood, how did you know that I was a …murderer… and why were you watching me sleep?" My voice squeaked a little bit on the last word, as Lucien's fingers started to massage a particularly sore spot.

"Oh, and can you take off the hood? It's really creepy." He chuckled, and removed the hood. I could finally see his face; he had shaggy black hair that hung almost to his eyes, a square jaw bone, golden eyes, and an amazing smile that seemed to knock the breath out of me. How could _he_ be a murderer?

"You know of the different guilds in the cities, correct?" he said. I nodded, and he continued. "The Dark Brotherhood is a guild for assassins. But we are more than just a simple band of hit-men; we have rules and assignments to carry out and abide by. For the people who have committed murder with no witnesses, there is a place where they can come and put their talents to good use."

I thought about this for a moment as his fingertips continued to swirl around my ankle.

"Alright, go on." I said. He smiled and continued.

"I know it was in self-defense. There is a dark force called Sithis, and a ruler of the Dark Brotherhood named the Night Mother. They told me of the incident. Then I was sent to see whether you slept soundly or not. If you tossed and turned all night, I would not have bothered telling you all this, but since you slept peacefully and then discovered me… No other candidate has ever discovered me, Quindi. You have a gift, and it would be a shame to waste it."

I was silent for a while. I assumed the Night Mother had told him my name, as well. His hands had moved on from my ankle, and he now gently rubbed my calf.

"Is that upsetting you?' He questioned, even softer than before. I laughed.

"How can a murderer be so sweet?" I asked. "You must be pretty high up on the ranks, right? I mean, they probably don't send new members to check out the candidates. So…" I took a deep breath. "So you've killed a lot of people?"

His voice took on a more serious tone than the warm, light one of our earlier conversation.

"I've done what I've had to do to survive." He did not meet my gaze this time.

"Lucien, does it bother you?"

"It did, but… I found that a lot of my, uhh, assignments, have done far worse than I have." He gave my leg one last gentle brush with his fingers, then set it down on the bedroll. "Do you have any more questions?"

"Let me do a recap… So you guys are an assassin's guild, but you don't kill innocent people. You have special dark forces, and you think I have a gift."

"And since it's a guild, you get free room and board."

"No, not free. For the price of those peoples' lives." I said.

"Their lives aren't worth very much at all for what they do with it." He replied.

I nodded. "Alright."

"Alright?"

"Call me a member of the Dark Brotherhood."

**So we finally got to meat Lucien! It's about time, 3****rd**** chapter. I went with the game's basic look of his face, just tweaked the details a little. Next chapter should be posted soon, depending on how fast I can type it… : ) Read and review!**


	4. Colors of Night

**Hey all! 4****th**** chapter! It's kind of fluff right now, but once they get to know each other the drama will really start… Anyway, 99LuftBalons: your comment about Lucien is very true, which is why I made him a little better looking. Ha ha. Enjoy!**

Lucien had finally finished telling me all of the rules and regulations of the Dark Brotherhood. There were a lot of them, tons more than I had expected from an assassin's guild. We were still in the same positions on my bedroll—he sat cross-legged on one end, and I had my legs stretched out in front of me. We sat facing each other.

"So why is it called the Dark Brotherhood, anyway? Isn't that a little sexist?" I asked jokingly.

"Mostly it's the men who end up doing the killing in the world. But there are a few women scattered throughout the guild."

"Fair enough." I paused when I heard a whinny in the forest. "Do you have a horse?"

"Yes… and I should probably be getting back." Lucien got to his feet and I quickly stood up after him.

"Wait, don't go!"

"I have to get back. I am needed in more ways than introducing the new recruits to the Brotherhood."

"But—" I tried to take a step toward him, but landed on my bad ankle and stumbled. He caught me in his arms, laughing. My face landed lightly on his chest; he smelled clean, like soap, but also rugged, like leather or gunpowder.

"Maybe I should escort you somewhere safer where you can rest," he said. "When the sun comes up, I suppose. Shadowmere doesn't like to ride at night." He scooped me up in his arms and set me lightly back onto the bedroll.

"Thanks," I said appreciatively.

"I'll be right back." He walked off into the woods toward where the horse noise came from, and I returned the knife to its place under my pillow. A few minutes later, Lucien came back into the clearing, leading a beautiful black horse by the reigns. Her mane was so shiny that it reflected the firelight.

"She's gorgeous," I breathed.

"And faster than an arrow," he replied, smiling. I saw that he had a large pack under his arm. After tying Shadowmere to a nearby tree, he lay out his bedroll alongside the fire so that our sleeping bags made an L with our heads together.

"Excuse me for a moment," he said, and strolled into the woods again. I threw another tree branch on the fire, then quickly ran my hands through my hair. I couldn't believe that I was in the middle of the woods, enjoying my time with a male murderer…one who had given me a foot massage…although I was a murderer now too, and I might as well accept it.

Lucien came back in a drastically different outfit than the one he had left in. There was no hood, nor flowing sleeves. There were no sleeves, for that matter. He wore a simple pair of black cotton pants and no shirt. He was rather fit, but I politely looked away after a few lingering moments.

"You like black, don't you?" I asked, gesturing towards his pants.

"It is the color of night," he laughed. He took off his shoes and lay down inside his bedroll.

"You don't have more questions about the guild?" he said.

"Not really… Though I do have a few questions for you."

"Alright. I'll try to answer them as best I can."

"Who did you murder to get into the Brotherhood in the beginning?" I asked, rolling over in my bedroll to face him.

"Now that is a delicate story," he answered, moving to face me as well.

"I think I can handle it."

"Alright. Don't say I didn't warn you." He took a breath, then began. "When I was young, my mother ran a store in Imperial City. My father left when I was even younger, so there wasn't anyone to guard the store. I was 14, just about to leave home and enter the real world. One night, I went to close up the shop and found my mother bleeding and unconscious. I revived her with some water on the face, and she told me that a man who worked nearby had come in and demanded money. He had stolen much of what was in the store, and had wounded my mother. I chased after him… I didn't mean to kill him, but the fight got out of hand. He had stolen the money just to spend on drugs and women, based on where I found him. Then I had a body on my hands."

"Oh Lucien, I'm sorry." I said softly. "That's awful." Inside I was glad that the murder had been for a reason, not just killing for sport.

"It's alright, it is in the past. And you don't need to re-live your murder, Sithis told me about what happened."

"Can I keep asking questions?" I asked.

"Be my guest."

"Will you live in my sanctuary?"

"No, I have my own place to live."

"Oh," I said, trying to hide my disappointment by avoiding his eyes. For some reason, I felt very connected to Lucien, though I hardly knew him.

"But sometimes I have to give assignments to other members personally, and we could see each other then." Lucien said, in a sneaky attempt to console me. "Now, I have some questions for you, if that's ok."

"Of course."

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen." I replied. "And you?"

"Twenty… Why did you work in the Arena?"

"I don't know. I guess once I got old enough to stop pick-pocketing, and needed some real money, it just seemed like the right choice." I picked at my thumbnail, grimacing at a memory of the past. "I suppose it was all of the pent-up feelings, the anger and the sadness, that I had tried to suppress over those years as a child… And I was good at it too. The rank system gave me something to look forward to."

"That's a good answer." Lucien said. "I kind of felt that with the Brotherhood. Very orderly, a solid way to move up the ladder."

I propped my chin up with my hand, gazing into his eyes.

"Last question." He promised, grinning. "Do you have any family or friends that you are very close to, ones that will miss you if you suddenly disappeared to join the Dark Brotherhood?" The question sounded innocent enough, but I wondered if the tone of his voice hinted at a deeper meaning.

"No," I said slowly. "I haven't spoken to my family since I entered the Arena. They probably think I'm dead anyway. And you can't make friends in the Arena. So I guess I was kind of a loner… What about you? Anyone special in your life?"

"No. I suppose I'm a loner too. I haven't seen my mother since that night, and I don't have many pals in this kind of work." I smiled broadly, and Lucien mirrored it.

"It's getting late." He said, still beaming.

"True." I shot him one last grin, and sighed and rolled over.

"Good night." He said.

"Night."

The hissing of the fire didn't seem quite so ominous anymore, but seemed to pop me a lullaby as I drifted to sleep.

**Ok, I don't know how old they are in reality… But whatever. These ages work well enough. Review please!**


	5. Special

**Heeeey! 5****th**** chapter, and sparks are starting to fly. Kind of. But oh, they will… **

**99luftbalons, I am pretty much going as far away from the Dark Brotherhood quest line as I possibly can, though I think that they will stay within the guild. And he is definitely younger and better looking than he is in the game… Enjoy!**

When I woke up in the morning, Lucien was still asleep. He was sprawled across the bedroll, the blanket gathered around his waist. I crawled out from under my blankets, smiling at the pose he was in. His face looked so calm, so innocent, that I couldn't help going over to his bedroll and kneeling beside him. All of the genuine sweetness that I had seen the night before showed on his face, and I traced his jaw with my fingertips. Lucien continued to breathe deeply, head tilting slightly toward my hand. I grinned broadly and left his side to change into my clothes for the day.

I pulled on a pair of soft leather pants, suede boots, and a thin cotton shirt, noting that I looked a bit like the pirates I saw walking around the Waterfront in Imperial City. I strolled down to the stream with a bowl I had brought. I washed it out, as I had eaten the rabbit from it last night, and filled it with water. I glanced at my rippling reflection for a moment, and saw the brown eyes and light brown hair that were mine. Water sloshing in the bowl, I carried it back to the clearing and over to Shadowmere. She nudged my head with her nose as I sat the bowl down on the ground, making me smile. I cupped my hands and offered her a drink of water. She drank all of it, then licked my hands.

"Thanks, Shadowmere," I laughed, stroking her neck. She responded by nestling into my shoulder.

"You certainly have a way with horses," Lucien said, standing right behind me, causing me to jump.

"Jeez, you are way too good at that!"

Lucien laughed, then said, "Well, I _am_ a Speaker. I have to be… Shadowmere likes you."

"She certainly does," I giggled, as she licked my bare arm.

"Quite a compliment she's giving you. Shadowmere doesn't like many people."

"Well she seems to like me just fine, don't you, Shadowmere?" I asked, turning to the horse. Lucien didn't respond, so I looked back. He was gazing at me with an unreadable expression on his face, too many things swirling together in his look to pick out individual emotions.

"What?" I said, Shadowmere still nudging my neck.

"It took me 3 weeks before she'd let me ride her. I've seen that horse kill wolves with a single kick, and practically bite peoples' fingers off, but you…" he gestured toward me, awe taking over the expression from earlier.

"I guess I'm just special." I replied, still chortling at the licks I was receiving from Shadowmere. Lucien's unfathomable expression came back, and he just nodded.

"You are." He said in a much more serious tone than before, closing the gap between us to stand in front of me. He was, of course, still shirtless, but I couldn't look anywhere but his eyes when he stared at me. Lucien tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear, cupping the side of my face in his hand. I captured his hand under mine, a smile playing about my lips. At this distance, he was noticeably taller than I was, at least 6 inches. But as soon as the moment had begun, his hand was gone and he stood a little farther away than before.

"I'll be right back," he said, walking off to the other end of the campsite. I turned back to Shadowmere. A grin broke across my face as I pat her head.

I didn't fall for guys in a matter of 12 hours… It took days or weeks to get to know them before hand. But why did I seem to care for Lucien, if I had only known him for such a short time? I didn't think it was a love at first sight kind of thing… Maybe it was just that we had so much in common. Conversation was so fluent, and it certainly felt like I had known him for days and weeks. I wondered if he had ever told anyone else the story about his mother and his first murder. I had already seen the two sides of Lucien; the serious, darker side, and the light and playful side. I wanted to find out if there were more sides of him that I could see, and if I could help him discover them.

I was disappointed to see that Lucien had used his time away from me to change into more covering clothes. This time, he was not wearing his black robes. Lucien had donned a pair of dark grey denim pants and a black cotton t-shirt, with a pair of black shoes.

"Your ankle is better," Lucien noted. I had hoped he wouldn't notice that.

"Yes. Still sore though."

"Well, I wouldn't want to strand you in the woods if your ankle suddenly got worse…" Lucien said, folding up his bedroll. I left Shadowmere's side with a last stroke, and put out the remains of our fire with the bowl of water.

"And I wouldn't want to be stranded. So it only makes sense for you to give me a ride," I said. Lucien chuckled, a sound that I was already becoming familiar with.

"I'm going to have to watch my back from you."

"And what better way for you to do that than to give an injured, helpless girl a ride?" I asked, throwing my hand to my forehead dramatically.

"You looked _very_ helpless when you came after me with a knife last night."

"Well…" I said, pausing during my packing of my bag.

"But you're right. The only way to escort you safely is to give you a ride." Lucien said, rolling up my bedroll for me. After taking one last look around the campsite, he added, "I think we're ready to go. It should take us one or two more days to get to Cheydinhal by horse."

We packed our bags onto Shadowmere, and I was happy that we had both packed pretty lightly. I didn't have many possessions from the Arena, and he obviously was the kind of person who lived off of necessities.

"She can handle both of our weights, right?" I asked, rubbing her chin.

"Oh yes, she's tough. Here, you get on first."

"Alright." I walked to the side Lucien was standing on and put my foot in the stirrup. Holding onto the hook on the saddle, I hoisted myself up and onto the horse. As soon as I had gotten settled, Lucien swung up behind me onto the saddle.

"You ready?" he asked, putting his arms around me to take the reigns. I leaned back into his chest, nodding.

"Yep. Ready."

"Then let's go." And with that, we rode off into the forest.

**The end of Chapter 5! Yay! Romance… Review if you've read this far.**


	6. Innocence

**Ok people! Chapter 6 is finally here. Sorry for making you guys wait so long, btu I just had so much to write! And I'm trying to make the chapters longer. So which do you guys like better, shorter chapters that get up faster, or longer ones that take longer? Anyway, enjoy…**

After our first day of riding, we pitched camp in another clearing. Lucien showed me on my map where we were: about 2/5 of the way to Cheydinhal. We had eaten some of the things we had gathered along the way: apples, nuts, and berries, and we had some bread that I had brought in my pack for dinner As we gathered wood for the fire, we started to chat about light topics like favorite color and food. But then the questions got deeper.

"So if you don't live at one of the sanctuaries, where _do_ you live?" I asked.

"I live at a secluded fort in a sort-of hidden room underneath it. It's pretty bleak; skeletons guard me and it's very dark."

"Well if no one knows about the fort, why not make it brighter? You know, live above ground?"

He laughed, and replied, "Well when you come and visit, maybe you can give me some interior decorating tips." I laughed too, but realized that he had changed his words from "if we see each other again" to "when you come visit." It made me feel happy, but also made my stomach clench a little bit. I threw in a cheerful answer.

"Definitely. The first thing to go will be the skeletons."

"What? They're my own personal bodyguards." Lucien began to rub two sticks furiously together to try to light the fire.

"Please. You're a big tough assassin, you'll be fine." I said, giggling.

"Well that kind of profession can get you some enemies," he replied. My laugh died away, and I paused in my wood-gathering.

"So you're on peoples' death lists then?" I asked hesitantly.

"That's kind of a given." As the sun set, the temperature dropped steadily, and now it was almost dark. Lucien tried to light the fire while I looked for some more twigs and branches. I digested his words for a moment.

"Will I have people after me, too?"

"If they do, you could pretend to be your own maid; innocent and non-lethal. I'm sure they would believe you." Lucien reassured me.

"Avoiding the question," I hinted, adding wood to the pile.

"Well, they might. You never know if they'll find out that you killed who-ever, or if they'll come after you just because you're in the Dark Brotherhood. However, if you do your job thoroughly and without leaving any clues, those kind of people won't go after you."

I nodded, watching Lucien get a few sparks going. Soon, I started to shiver from the frigid air in the woods. I pulled on my jacket from my pack, but without the roaring fire, my teeth began to chatter. Lucien looked up, surprised to hear the noise.

"Are you that cold?"

"Y-y-yes," I replied with some difficulty.

"Give me two minutes and I'll have this whole pile of wood in flames." Lucien promised. I waited patiently, but Lucien soon momentarily abandoned the task. He went to his bag and brought out a jacket.

"Here, this should keep you warm." He said, helping me put the jacket on.

"D-d-don't you n-need it?" I asked, but then took a closer look at him. "You don't even have goose-bumps!"

"Well, I am a man." He laughed. "I don't get cold as easy."

"Thank you for letting me wear it," I said.

"You're welcome." Lucien continued his efforts to start the fire, while I savored the experience of wearing his jacket. I imagined that it was a lot like hugging him; it was warm and had the same lingering smell of soap and gunpowder. As he focused entirely on lighting the fire, I was able to study his face for a little while. He hadn't shaved since that morning, but Lucien had hardly any stubble. His amber eyes reflected the light of the fire, and his teeth were bright white when he smiled.

After washing up in the river that we were following in our route to Cheydinhal, Lucien and I unpacked our bedrolls and lay out on the ground in the same positions as the night before. We each went into the woods to change into sleep-clothes; Lucien didn't have goose-bumps even when he wore only his cotton pants.

"How are you not cold in just those pants?" I asked, still not entirely warm in my two jackets and my night clothes.

"What can I say? I'm a man. More insulation. And you can sleep in the jacket if you like." He said, lying down in his bedroll.

"Thank you." I was more welcome to the fact that I could relish in the smell of him all night rather than the warmth, though that would do me good. I crawled into my bedroll as well, and it was silent for a long time, except for the crackling and popping of the wood in the fire.

"Are you still awake?" he said quietly after about fifteen minutes.

"Yes."

"Are you tired?"

"Not really. Are you?"

"No," he replied. We laughed, and shifted so that we could face each other.

"I learned some things about you last night, but I still have some questions." I said.

"Ask away."

"Alright, number one: what is your middle name?" I had propped my head up with my hand, fingertips barely peeking out of the jacket's sleeves.

"You don't want to know that." He said, looking down.

"Is it that bad?"

"I didn't name myself, let's just say that."

"Do you need some persuasion?" I asked.

"What kind of persuasion?"

"Well, I do have a talent that I learned from a high-elf in school. I can read your palm. Wouldn't you like to find out your future?"

Lucien thought for a moment, then said, "The future is never cemented…But it's a deal." He paused, trying to delay the inevitable answer, but eventually mumbled, "Arthur."

"Arthur? _That's_ the horrible middle name? I'm going to read your palm for _Arthur_?" I said, giggling. Lucien said something about women and his mother under his breath, but I ignored him. "So that makes you Lucien Arthur…?"

"Lachance."

"Lachance. Lucien Arthur Lachance… I like it."

"Let's see, Sithis told me yours. It was Quindi…Quindi McQuade I think? And the middle name was—"

"Don't say it out loud." I threatened.

"Alright, alright. But did your parents name you after—"

"Yes. They did." I said.

"Wow. You could call it creative."

"Or something else." I muttered. He grinned.

"I believe you owe me a reading," Lucien said after a moment, extending his hand toward me. I took it between mine after rolling up the sleeves of the jacket. I loved looking at peoples' hands. They showed so much about the lives they had lived, the people they were, and the people they would become. Lucien's hand was exactly what someone would expect from a man; calloused in some places, probably from horse reigns, and soft in others.

"This line here indicates the length of your life. So by the length of the line, you'll probably be fairly old when you die. The breaks indicate major changes in your lifestyle, or momentous events that will impact your life. It looks like you have two or three, all pretty early on." I traced the line with my fingertips, then moved to the next one. "This is your love line. Since it ends here, you will find your soul mate, and you will be with her for love and not convenience or money."

Lucien nodded. "Go on."

"The lines here indicate how many kids you will have… I can't tell how many in the firelight, you'll have to look when the sun shines," I said, pointing toward an area on the left side. "Now this is your destiny line. It intersects all of your other lines, which shows that you will have a destiny that not only impacts your heart, but also your mind, life, and love."

"Wow."

"Yeah, you can tell a lot about a person from their hands."

"What does yours say?" Lucien asked.

I was shocked. No one had ever asked me about myself or my future so abruptly before. How could this man who I had known for a total of three days care more about me than my family, or friends from school?

I shot him a broad smile that showed all of my teeth, and told him about myself.

The sun streamed in between the leaves on the trees, creating dancing patterns on the ground. The scent of some kind of flowering plant was light on the air, as well as the comforting, masculine smell of Lucien. As Shadowmere rested and ate her oats, Lucien and I sat under a tree, planning what kind of animal to catch for dinner. We had taken turns bathing in the nearby river, and had eaten another small lunch of bread and apples.

I watched Shadowmere enjoy her meal, imagining riding her through the mountains, the wind in my hair.

"So how long have you had Shadowmere?" I asked.

"About two years, I think."

"How cool, being able to ride her whenever you want…"

"Yeah, but not much fun to take care of," Lucien replied. I laughed and lay down under the tree, propping myself up on my elbows. I could feel Lucien's gaze on my face, and I let him explore my features for a moment before turning to meet it. Both of our faces broke out in a grin.

"What do you want for dinner?" I questioned.

"Rabbits are always easy."

"Would one rabbit be enough for both of us? I suppose we could catch two, if we can find two…"

"Well, what else do you suppose we hunt?"

Through the trees, I saw a large brown shape moving almost twenty feet away. It was much too broad to be a human, but it could have been a troll. Then I saw the antlers… An elk. Perfect.

"That." I said, pointing towards it. Lucien nodded, pulled out a bow and arrow from his pack. He quickly loaded the bow in preparation for the hunt, and left my side with a nonchalant, "Be right back."

He crept forward, silent and incredibly lethal. I could only watch in transfixion as he slunk from tree to tree like a leopard stalking its prey. When he was seven or eight feet away from the elk, he pulled the bow taunt. The arrow left the bow and was into the animal before I could blink. By just one fatal hit through the eyes, the large animal was dead.

I realized with a sudden gravity just how serious Lucien was about the assassin's guild, and just how dangerous this job was.

How dangerous _he_ was.

My blood seemed to freeze in my veins, but I slowly stood up.

"Hey, can you help me get this guy?" Lucien called from his spot in the forest. I wordlessly went over to him and helped drag the elk back to our campsite. There wasn't even any blood, and the animal was still warm.

"Great. Now let's cut out the parts we want to eat. After all, we can't roast the whole thing over the fire." Lucien said cheerily. Then he saw my face, which had gone suddenly cold, and said, "Quindi?"

"You… You're dangerous." I said shakily.

"Of course I'm dangerous. I'm a Speaker of the Dark Brotherhood."

"But seeing you move like that, killing that deer without a second thought. There wasn't even a single speck of blood!"

"Oh Quindi…" he made a move to step towards me and hug me.

"No. Don't touch me." The words were out of my mouth before I realized that I had said them. He was stung; I could see him take a slow step backwards. I was shocked to feel this way, and I knew he was even more surprised at my sudden mood swing.

"Didn't you realize what you signed up for?" Lucien said, angry now.

"Lucien, how many people have you _killed_?" I choked out, sinking to my knees. My fists were clenched. In that one moment, I was hit full-force with the harsh reality that my whole life had been a whirl-wind of one thing to another. I never really chose what happened to me or had a path to follow. Who knew where this dark path would lead me?

"Does it matter?" he said in a solemn tone. "I don't keep count. Only someone who kills for pleasure would do such a thing. I was different, I was always different. I tried to weed out the horrible, sick people in the world by my work in the Brotherhood. It didn't feel like I was doing something bad; it felt like I was finally doing something right. I let my mediocre upbringing influence who I was when I joined the guild… But Quindi," His voice became quieter. I shivered all over from the rush of emotion and the sudden cold of the forest, but I couldn't help meeting his eyes as he said, "You and I are more alike than you can ever know. We both were thrust into this dark world, not realizing at the time of our murders that what we did would affect us in such an absolute way. An act of violence, an accident, or in self defense, it doesn't matter."

I gave a bitter laugh from my spot on the ground.

"That's fair," I said sarcastically.

"I know it's not _fair_, Quindi! That's why you and I are different than a lot of people in the Dark Brotherhood!" Lucien said in a fairly commanding tone. I looked down, staring at my hands. I was shocked to feel a hot, angry tear slide down my cheek. Lucien approached me slowly, knelt down next to me, and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. He whispered, "That's why you and I are alike." I turned to face him, emotions raging through me.

Lucien took my face in his hands, wiping the tears away with his thumbs. Then, ever so slowly, he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. Our kiss was light and bittersweet, lips barely brushing. My hands went to his chest, and then up to hold his shoulders. As suddenly as the gentle kiss had begun, it turned more urgent. All of the emotions that I had felt in the past three days, and even in the past few months of my life, poured through me, and my hands wound around his neck. One of his hands went to lace through my hair, and the other one around my waist.

The dusty ground, the elk and Shadowmere, even the woods around us, disappeared… My whole world was Lucien, all of my senses overloaded by him. I could hear his heartbeat, smell the deep, wonderful male scent of him, and taste the salt in my tears but also the sweet taste of his lips. After a few minutes or a few hours, the kiss ended with my face to his chest, my arms wrapped around his waist. He rested his chin lightly on my head and stroked my hair. We knelt there for a long time, just holding each other. The world around us continued to move, but we were still and calm, savoring each other's presence.

**Yay! Romance! Review por favor, they make me happy.**


	7. Destiny

**Here is the 7th chapter, after the long break in between... Thank you, dear reviewers, for your support! You are all very sweet. Anyway, enjoy the story!**

_I was running through the woods, chasing a rabbit around with my knife. The sun had set, and the woods were silent. I heard the crunching of leaves underfoot from somewhere behind me, and I spun around. The rabbit dashed off and wriggled between two trees._

_"Damn," I said, sighing. Suddenly, an arm came from behind me, pinning my arms to my side. A knife was at my throat, and a voice came from behind me._

_"Don't move." _

_I tried to turn around, and I saw Ruidri's face from the corner of my eye. I stabbed him in the throat, and blood poured onto my hands. As he fell to the ground, he turned into a quivering Lucien._

_"Why, Quindi?" he gasped. Blood dripped down my hands, and I tried to scream, but no sound came out. I took the knife, and rammed it into my own chest—_

I awoke with a start, sitting straight up in my bedroll with my hands in front of my face. After sitting there panting for breath, I curled into a ball and stared at my hands. There was no blood there, and Ruidri couldn't come back for me... What did that dream mean? I tried to shake the thoughts from my mind, and the images of the day before flooded back through me. I sat up straight again, looking around the campsite. Lucien was not in his bedroll, the sheets fixed orderly.

"Lucien?" I asked quietly. I got no response, so I crawled out of my makeshift bed, stretching. I took a fresh change of clothes from my pack, and quickly changed into some fitted jeans and a hooded jacket. I had washed my hair the day before, and I tried to brush through the tangles. I noticed that my fingers were trembling as I held the comb, and I laughed.

"That's stupid," I told myself. "I shouldn't be nervous to see him, I enjoy being around him." I pulled my hair into a ponytail, and unrolled the map. This would definitely be our last day on the road.

I pushed down the anxious thoughts of meeting my new Dark Brotherhood "siblings," and leaving Lucien's side. We had only been in the woods for four days, and I had practically made out with him! What was I thinking? He probably thought I was some sort of lusty lunatic, no wonder he had left the camp before I woke up. I should have known him for a _lot _longer than four days, this kind of thing never happened to me. I should have known him for a while, become friends, and then moved up from there...

"Good morning." Lucien's voice resounded clearly from across the campsite, and my head was pulled from my previous thoughts.

"Morning," I replied, accidentally dropping the map.

"I don't know how to say this, Quindi," he said, moving towards me. He ran one hand through his hair nervously. He wore simple denim pants and a dark jacket, and didn't look like he had been in the woods for days. "I'm sorry about yesterday... I had just wanted to console you, but I obviously stepped over the line when I kissed you like that." He hadn't met my eyes yet.

"It's ok, I'm sorry too." I said, clutching the map with both hands. "That kind of thing really doesn't happen to me often—"

"Me neither." Lucien broke in.

"But you didn't force yourself on me or anything. Honestly, it really did make me feel better." I hated this awkward, heavy air between us. Finally, Lucien looked up to meet my gaze, giving me a shy smile. "And you're very sweet, though I've known you for such a short time."

"You are, too. You know more about me than most people in the Brotherhood that have known me for years," Lucien said, laughing. He seemed much more relaxed now that he had apologized, and he put his hands in his pockets. I smiled back at him, and decided to change the subject of conversation before it turned even more awkward before. Truthfully, his confession had sent warmth through me, but I wanted to play it cool after yesterday's events.

"So today is the last day of riding, right?" I asked, unfurling the map. He stepped closer to me, and traced the route we had been following.

"Yep. We should be there a few hours before sunset—just enough time to get there and meet everyone before nightfall."

"You aren't taking me to your gloomy fort?" I teased.

"Would you like to go there beforehand?" he asked, considering it with more severity than I had thought he would.

"I was kidding, but I'd like to. You can take me to the little sanctuary-thing first, I don't really care." I inwardly kicked myself; I sounded like an idiot.

"Well, depending on what time we get there, you could come check it out," he said thoughtfully.

"I'd like that." I repeated with more tenderness in my tone than before. Lucien and I smiled at each other for a moment, then he turned towards out bedrolls.

"Well, shall we pack up?" he asked. Normally, I would have laughed at someone who said "shall," but with him, it just seemed to fit.

"Sure." We started the process of bundling up our bedrolls and making sure the fire was out again, possibly the final time, without much conversation. The silence was broken only by someone asking, "Could you pass me that?" or "Have you seen my...?" It wasn't horribly uncomfortable, but it was a fairly extensive change from the past few days of complete ease and fluidity of exchanges. I noticed that both of us were particularly careful not to let our hands brush, or sides bump as we packed up our things. I grinned at this, but it soon turned into a sort-of grimace. Lucien seemed more careful around me than before, as if my irate tears yesterday had revealed that I was suddenly fragile.

Once we were completely packed up, Lucien helped me get onto Shadowmere, steadying me with a sturdy hand. He swung on behind me, and grabbed the reins.

"You all set?" he asked softly. I could feel his breath lightly on the back of my neck, and I nodded. I resisted the urge to just reach around and wrap my arms around him with a sudden flair of emotion, and instead leaned into him.

"Yes sir."

With one last lingering look towards the campsite, we galloped off into the woods. Since Shadowmere's galloping was fairly loud, and the wind whipped into our faces, Lucien and I couldn't really talk. I had all day to think.

I skimmed through the past few days in my mind, smiling at some memories and scowling at others. I knew that when we got to Cheydinhal, I couldn't just give Lucien up. With the circumstances, the two of us could easily become the kind of people that were stiff and formal with each other. I decided that Lucien and I couldn't let walls build up between us, as we had barely had a picket fence when we first met. Looking back, I couldn't believe that the two of us had been so honest with each other.

I wouldn't let that go to waste.

The woods gave way to the looming city fortification after a few more hours of riding. The sky had begun to turn a dusky orange color, the edges of clouds highlighted in a lighter blue. It was a sunset that I would have adored on a normal day in Imperial City. However, today was different.

Lucien let up on the reigns, and Shadowmere trotted to a stop. She gave a small snort as she was led to the side of the path.

"We're not at the city yet," I said, puzzled.

"I need to give you some instructions." Shadowmere walked farther into the woods until we could hardly see the path behind us in the vegetation. He mumbled something in one of the Ancient languages under his breath, and suddenly, he was invisible.

"Whoah." I said, reaching toward his chest. "Impressive."

I heard a chuckle, then the reigns floated toward me. I grabbed his hand while trying to take the reigns, but managed to get them from the see-through Lucien.

"Here are your directions. You will take Shadowmere to the stables and board her for the night. Then you enter the gate with your pack. I will leave mine here in the woods, and follow you into the city. Act like you can't find your way to some Cheydinhal landmark and ask one of the guards about the map. I'll let you know that I'm inside, and I'll lead you to the Sanctuary." He paused, and I felt a hand brush my cheek. "You ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," I replied. A ghostly laugh sounded from behind me as he swung off the horse.

"I'll meet you inside." He whispered, as I led Shadowmere toward the path once more. The stables were just around the corner, and I led her to a place where she could rest. I paid the woman who ran it with the money Lucien had given me to use, scanning the forest behind her. There was no sign of him, and I made my way toward the main gates of the city, pack over my shoulder. The giant oak doors creaked open slowly, and I waited until they were completely open, buying Lucien as much time to slip in the opening as possible. I stepped through.

"Welcome to Cheydinhal, Miss," one of the guards said.

"Is there anything we can help you with?" another asked.

"Well, there was one thing… I'm just a girl on my own, and I need some directions?" I asked, trying to sound innocent while batting my lashes at the nearest guard. He shuffled in his uniform, and asked, "Can I see your map, ma'am?" after clearing his throat.

"Sure." I pulled out my map of the city, unrolling it. I pointed towards a lodge in the center of the city, being sure to lean very close to one of the guards.

"Well, that's not so hard to find, you're lucky," The first guard said.

"Oh good." They began to describe various routes through the city, eventually breaking into an argument over which one was best. I felt two arms slip around my waist, but since I could see nothing, I knew that it was Lucien.

"Thanks, guys!" I said cheerfully, practically ripping the map from the guards. A low chuckle sounded in my ear as Lucien came around to my side. He took my hand in his, which must have looked fairly odd from behind. However, the guards were too absorbed in their argument to notice. Holding hands with an invisible man, I walked toward the Sanctuary.

Holding hands with my future, I walked toward my destiny.

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	8. Shades of Red

**Thanks guys, for being so faithful with your reviews! They rock my world… : )**

"That's it?" I asked, staring blankly at the crumbling, boarded-up house in front of me. "It doesn't look like much."

"Come on," Lucien whispered, giving my hand a light tug in the direction of the house's "backyard." All that there was were some weeds sprouting up through the dirt, some coming through the stones of an old well. Lucien's hand left mine, and I saw a key turn in a lock on the well. With a rusty groan, the well's top swung off of the stone base, revealing a ladder underneath.

"Whoa, I am not going down there. I read a book like this once, the guy killed the girl when she went down there with him," I said, crossing my arms.

"If I wanted to kill you, I think I would have done that in the woods, don't you agree?" I heard him say. I thought for a moment, then sighed and dangled my legs over the side of the well.

"Here goes." I began my descent down the ladder, then looked up. "You're coming too, right?"

"Of course. I need to speak to a few members, anyway." I heard the well creak closed, so I knew he must be above me on the ladder. I reached the bottom, and then a soft thud sounded after me. With another Ancient phrase spoken by Lucien, a stream of light came out of nowhere and hit in the direction of where I had heard the thump. A black silhouette formed in the light, then his features started to become visible. The light slowly faded, which left Lucien standing next to me, flexing his fingers.

"That still makes my hands tingle," he muttered, and I couldn't resist giving him a quick hug. I held him I my arms for a moment, then I felt his arms wrap around me.

_Hello, Quindi._

"What?" I asked Lucien.

"Hmm? I didn't say anything."

"No, someone said 'Hello, Quindi.' Didn't you hear that?"

"Nope," he replied, pulling back to study my face. I shook my head.

"Maybe I'm losing my mind… Come on, let's go."

We walked out from the secluded ladder corner, to see a wide, dark room. The only colors I saw were deep red and black, and there were a few sets of old doors around the room, leading to who knows where. There was a skeleton walking around, which shocked me quite a bit, and a shadow emerged from one of the doors.

"Lucien, how good to see you…" came the high, sugary voice of a woman. She stepped into the weak light, and I saw that she, too, was a human. Her blonde curls hung almost to her waist, and her light blue eyes glinted in the darkness. "And you brought someone with you. A new recruit, perhaps?"

"Yes. Meet Quindi."

"I'm Leonelle." She extended her hand to shake, and I saw that her fingernails extended far past her fingertips. She had filed them into points, and painted them a dark burgundy.

"Nice nails," I noticed. She laughed darkly.

"With what I do with them, they're not so nice."

"Oh." I said, taking an unconscious step backwards.

"Leonelle, I'll need to speak with you alone for a moment about a certain assignment." Lucien told her. She nodded, and pointed towards one of the doors.

"Those are the living quarters. Quindi, you can put your things in there; there's already a bed for you." I looked back at Lucien, then took my pack to the room that she told me to. As I slipped through the door, I saw the two of them talking, and Lucien looked angry.

The living quarters weren't cozy, but just as dark as the rest of the Sanctuary. A very pale man greeted me as I entered the room with all of the beds.

"Hello, I am Vicente. You are?"

"Quindi," I said, throwing my pack onto the empty bed. "Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine," he replied, bowing.

"At least there's one friendly face in this place."

"Friendly, sure, but a vampire nonetheless." He sighed. My eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Why don't you get cured?" I asked. He didn't reply for a moment. "You don't have to answer. Sorry, that was rude of me."

"No, no. It's fine. Being in the Dark Brotherhood, I don't often need to go out into the daylight, so there's not much hindrance there. Also, I can bestow the Dark Gift on others if they so desire it."

"Alrighty," I said, trying to sound nonchalant. I took my clothes from my pack and began folding them.

"You need any help with that?" Vicente asked.

"That would be excellent." The two of us worked quickly, and got the job done much faster. I found Lucien's jacket in the pile, with a note pinned to it. _Check your map… I can't wait to see you again._ I grinned widely, leaving the jacket under my pillow. I had a hunch what would be on the map, and stowed my empty pack underneath my bed. I turned to Vicente. "Thanks."

"Any time," he replied. I smiled, then left the quarters. I opened the door only to run straight into Lucien.

"I must go," he told me. "I came to say goodbye." He pulled me into a tight hug, and I buried my face in his chest. Who knew if this was the last chance I'd have to be this close to him for a long time…?

"Oh Lucien," I said, my words becoming muffled through his shirt. "I'm going to miss you so much." I felt his chin rest lightly on top of my head.

"I marked my fort on your map. Come visit me soon, if you can?"

"Of course."

"I'll miss you, Quindi."

"I'll miss you, too, Lucien." I pulled my head back, and standing on tip-toes, I reached his mouth with mine. He bent his head down so that I didn't have to reach quite as far, and placed one hand on the back of my neck. After we each pulled away, we smiled at each other.

"Farewell," he said. I swallowed.

"Goodbye." We held each other one last time, then Lucien tucked my ever-wild hair behind my ear. With one final embrace, Lucien was gone. I started back toward my 'room,' but I heard Leonelle's voice behind me.

"So you know Lucien, I see… Very closely."

"Yes…" I turned. "What of it?"

"I just hope he's not playing you. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Believe me, I watch out for myself." Leonelle's eyes narrowed, and I moved through the doorway. Right before I pushed the door to the quarters closed behind me, and we locked eyes one more time. Just as we did, I heard a deep, raspy voice.

_Kill her… Kill Leonelle…_

The voice sounded so close that the person could have been standing right behind me. But I knew better…

The voice was coming from inside my own head.

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	9. Reunion

**Hey guys! Let me start off by saying that I'm sorry that it's been so long since the last chapter! As you all know though, school can get pretty nasty… So, enjoy! **

Living in the Sanctuary wasn't hard. After a few days, I fell back into the comforting and orderly pattern of living in a guild… Eat, train, sleep. I hardly saw the other Dark Brotherhood members, only a few here and there when I woke up early. I saw Vicente the most often, as he was restricted to the hall for at least twelve hours a day.

The odd voice continued to speak inside my head and was gaining power day by day, much to my displeasure. It had an eerie, scratchy quality that I had heard from no human's lips—not quite masculine, not quite feminine—so I knew that I could not have been imagining it. It often warned me to "Kill Leonelle… Kill!" but I ignored it as best I could. The voice frightened me, and as with anything unpleasant, I tried to push it to the edge of my subconscious. It had a chilling quality to it; if I was a more fragile girl, it would send shivers down my spine.

Even though I was in an assassin's guild, I was hearing voices, and I would soon be sent to kill someone, I dreamt only of Lucien. Not the horrific kind like the one I had had in the forest, but sweet dreams of talking and laughing. I still kept his jacket under my pillow every night.

One day after archery training, Leonelle approached me. Her eyes glinted in the dim lighting of the sanctuary, not at all similar to the cheerful twinkling in Lucien's eyes by the fire. With her sharpened nails added to the picture, Leonelle looked like a ferocious predator ready to pounce. She hadn't been mean to me during my time in the Dark Brotherhood, but she struck me as the type of person that Lucien had warned me to watch out for—someone who kills for fun.

"Quindi, this came for you," Leonelle said, handing me a roll of parchment. "It's magically sealed, so don't worry, I didn't read it."

"Thanks." I took the scroll from her, and began to walk away. Even though she said something perfectly nice, something in her tone suggested a deeper emotion at play, whether hatred, vanity, or what I didn't know.

"Aren't you going to read it?" she asked.

"Yes… I'm going to right now." I didn't want anyone near me when I read the letter; if it was specially sealed, it was obviously meant for my eyes only. I heard her harrumph as I exited the room, and almost chuckled under my breath. I rushed to my quarters, and untied the ribbon around the roll, tucking this into my pocket. I wondered how, if it was magically sealed, I would be able to open it. I started to unfurl it, but I felt resistance when I tried to get it more than a fourth of the way open. Suddenly, the following words appeared on the edge of the parchment:

What is my middle name?

I grabbed the quill off of my desk, and quickly scrawled, "_Arthur._" I knew that it would be from Lucien, and as I suspected, the rest of the note unrolled onto my desk. It read:

_Quindi,_

_Follow the directions on your map that I gave you. I need to see you for a special assignment. Please come to my abode as soon as possible._

_-Lucien_

I grinned at his use of the word "abode," and quickly finished reading the note.

_P.S. Write when you think you can come on the bottom of the page, as it too is enchanted."_

I was more than eager to see him again, though it was only about a week and a half since he had left. I bit my lip for a moment, then wrote in my neatest handwriting, "_Tonight._"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Going somewhere?" Vicente asked from the shadows of the living quarters. The Dark Brotherhood members' sudden appearances no longer bothered me, so I calmly met his gaze.

"Yes… I'm not sure when I'll be back. I don't know if I'm allowed to tell anyone of where I'm going…" I shoved a few pairs of clothes into my pack just in case.

"I won't pry; the Brotherhood is full of secrets," he replied. That's what I loved about Vicente. He was always so thoughtful and kind.

"Thank you, that's sweet," I said. He handed me my pillow, and then the jacket underneath. I only took the first object.

"No thanks, I can up you one on that front." I broke out in a smile, and he just set the jacket back with a knowing look on his face. I threw my pack over my shoulder and ran out the door, pausing only to say, "Catch you later."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I decided that stealing a horse would be useless, as it couldn't very well ride at night. I had a long walk ahead of me. The feeling of elation that I could see Lucien again swelled inside me, and when I checked my map, I found that I was nearly half way there. Thoughts of him kept me occupied for most of the walk to the fort. A slight sensation of anxiety was building, but I pushed it down by thinking that if he didn't want to see me, he wouldn't have written to me.

I held the glass lantern out in front of me as I followed the winding path through the woods. The light threw long, skeletal-looking shadows onto the forest floor, and the moon helped to light my way as well. Every once in a while, I could hear the lone cry of a wolf, or the rustling of leaves kicked up by the slight breeze.

Soon, I could see the outline of the crumbling fort silhouetted by the moonlight. My pace quickened, as well as my heartbeat.

I picked along the route around the fort, just as Lucien had told me to do. Soon, I came to a huge boulder leaning against the side of the fort. With a quick shove, I was able to get all of my belongings through the opening. It was a little snug with the pack, but I pulled myself through, and into the hollowed out rock. The light from my lantern instantly lit up the whole place, and I located the trap door on the floor.

"Well, here goes." I said to myself, pulling open the door with some effort. It popped open, almost causing me to drop my lantern. I knelt next to the opening, and called, "Lucien?"

"Quindi, you're here!" he said. I could see a black shape move to stand below the ladder, but it was too dark to make out a face. "Toss your things down, I'll catch them."

"Okay, get ready!" I heard him chuckle, and I threw him my quiver of arrows and bow first. After my pack went down, I decided not to throw my lantern, and began to climb down the ladder. When I was about eight feet up, I passed him the lantern.

"Can you catch _me_?" I asked, laughing.

"Try me."

I fell backwards off of the ladder with just a moment of freefall before I was safe and sound in Lucien's arms.

"Thank you," I said politely. He held me with two hands: one behind my back and one under my knees. Caught here in his arms, I could get the first good look at him that I'd had for almost two weeks. My breath almost caught in my throat as he smiled. His hair was just as I remembered, if only more groomed. Lucien's eyes were the deep honey color of amber, and I had a overwhelming urge to touch his face. I kept one hand on my lap, and tucked one around his neck. "I'm not heavy?" I said after a moment.

"Nope. Light as a feather." Even as he said this he was gently setting me on the ground. From here, I could finally embrace him. I threw my arms around him, and he pulled me closer.

"I've missed you," Lucien murmured.

"I've missed you too." We held each other for a long while, then we pulled back slightly. Suddenly, I remembered where we were.

"You know, Lucien…" I began, grinning. "I don't see any skeletons."

Again, I apologize for the absolute short-ness of this chapter! But I've been very, very swamped lately. Please review! Also, I know some people have been subscribing, but not leaving any comments. As much as I love a fan base, I love comments even more! They make my day, and might actually get me to get a new chapter up faster. So please review…

-fracture-girl


	10. Exchange

**First of all, I want to say that I am SO SORRY for not posting for so long! One of my friends alerted me yesterday that it had been almost two months, and I freaked out. This chapter is really short and does not begin to make up for this, but hopefully there's more coming soon… Now that that stupid paper is no longer hanging over my head, I am free to write something fun in my free time! Enjoy…**

"You know, Quindi, you look different…" Lucien told me as we sat atop his bed.

"I'm sure it's because you haven't seen me for a while, you probably just forgot what I looked like," I teased.

"No, it's something else. You look older, more mature. You look like you, of course, but more elegant… Maybe it's the Dark Brotherhood stealth training?"

"Maybe," I said. Lucien put his hand over mine, flipping it over to see the underside of my palm. He took it in his hand, and pulled me to my feet.

"Come on, I have something to show you." I let him lead me over to the ladder once more, propping me up so I could scramble up first. He then swung himself up by the bottom rung. The two of us climbed through the rock to see the darkness beginning to fade into morning. In the half-light, his hair took on an orange sheen and his eyes shone like jewels. My face broke into a small smile without a concrete thought behind it, and he took my hand once more. We picked our way around the rocks and tree branches protruding from the fort, and finally hoisted ourselves up onto a smaller outcropping at the very top.

"You can see everything from up here," I breathed, gazing in wonder at the vast horizon in front of me. Trees and far-off towns looked small in comparison to the sun peeping over the edge of a mountain range. The sky was a brilliant tangerine with amethyst lining the wispy clouds.

We sat down on the ledge, facing the sunset. I could feel his warmth, though we sat a few inches apart. I felt that the past week at the Sanctuary never happened; I was back with Lucien just as before. He spoke.

"You know, I used to climb up here a lot to watch the sun rise or set. It's refreshing, don't you think? The sun sheds its light on the earth, banishing every dark corner and setting the whole world aglow. A fresh day, a new start in light."

"I think I know what you mean," I said, studying the silhouette of his face I the ruddy glow of the sky. "Though some bad things happened in the night, there's always the sun to erase it with a clear slate."

Lucien made a small noise of appreciation, and said, smiling, "I'm glad you feel this way too. Everyone deserves a second chance." With the orange glint of the sunrise in his eyes, his irises looked like two of the butterscotch candies my mother used to give me back when I was very young. But that was in the past, my old life. Thee was no use reliving painful memories.

"Lucien, may I ask you something?" I asked, subconsciously twirling a ring around my finger.

"Of course."

"I was wondering… Back when we had first met, you had said you were a Speaker? How did you get chosen for that, and what exactly do you do?"

"As a Speaker, I am the face of the Dark Brotherhood. There are four Speakers and One Listener in the Black Hand, and each Speaker has a different role to play. I am the recruiter of talented murderers that could be used as assassins. The Second Speaker has the ability to convince people to… do things, similar to a hypnotist's talent. The third is simply acting as a peace keeper, stopping rumors about the guild, that sort of thing. He keeps an eye on our reputation and looks at the Brotherhood as a whole. The last Speaker has the gift of tongues, and knows the languages of every race in Cyrodil, the world, and even some of the animal kingdom."

I digested this for a moment, then asked, "And the Listener?"

"He or she will listen to Sithis and the Night Mother, and take their orders to the Speakers for distribution among the Sanctuaries. They alone can communicate with the sole holy beings of the Brotherhood." The sun had gotten even further into the sky; the dawn had lost its fiery burnt-orange hue and instead resembled a pale sherbet.

"Quindi?" he asked softly, facing me.

"Hmm?"

"How did a girl as lovely as you are end up in the Arena?"

"Lovely?" I asked, immediately kicking myself. I should have just taken his compliment, as touching as it was.

"Of course. The beautiful color of your skin, the sparkling hazel eyes, the breathtaking smile? You're lovely." He had kept eye contact with me the whole time, causing me to blush and look away, toward the expanse of mountains and woods. Lucien took my chin as I turned, and gently twisted it back to meet his gaze.

"Never doubt that you are," he finished, and leaned down to meet my lips with his. It was the softest of kisses, one of his hands on my hip and the other under my chin. Then, as soon as it had begun, he pulled away with his face, hands remaining where they were. My eyelids fluttered open, and I broke into a grin at the sight of his golden eyes so close to mine. He answered this with a brilliant smile, and left another soft kiss on my jaw line.

"You were telling me how you chose the Arena?" he whispered in my ear, then kissed just under it.

"Well…" I began, Lucien's feather-light actions making me seem slightly winded. "As a younger child, I had often pick-pocketed people and such without getting caught."

Lucien chuckled, and continued his kisses. He continued to leave little pecks along my neck and jaw, running one hand through my hair.

"But one day, my parents had a city higher-up over for dinner, and I couldn't resist when I saw something gold sticking up from his pocket. The man found out soon after that his possessions were missing, and accused my parents of thievery. They knew they were innocent, and found the gold in my bedroom. They decided that it was time for me to either get married or get out, and I chose the latter."

"Oh Quindi… I'm sorry." Lucien said softly, pulling back slightly.

"It's okay," I answered. "It's in the past. What's done is done, and that's why I chose the Arena. I didn't want to get married when I hadn't truly experienced life yet… I was saving money for a trip around Cyrodil with my winnings; I had to get out of Imperial City." The sun was now bright and high in the pale blue sky, and Lucien helped me up.

"Come, let's go inside," he said, and we left our little perch holding hands to let the sun bleach the bony ruins of the old fort once more.


	11. Golden and Torn

**Hey everybody. Finals are almost over, so I'll start posting all the time over the summer! **

When I awoke, the darkness of Lucien's hideout was so absolute that whether it was day or night was impossible to tell. A few candles flickered in the corners of the room, and the dull red light from a blanket thrown over a lantern emanated from beside the bed. Lucien had graciously granted me to sleep in his bed as he took a bedroll next to it.

The masculine smell of Lucien was deeply ingrained in the sheets, and I had fallen asleep quickly that morning. Lucien slept very soundly; the ever-preoccupied look that he wore had melted from his face, and the looked so utterly innocent that I could only marvel that this sweet man was able to kill. I reached down to cup the side of his face with my hand, and he tilted his head into it, almost nuzzling my palm. I smiled and laughed softly to myself, stroking his cheek with my knuckle before reclining back on the bed. Lucien hadn't tried anything the night before… He was the master of self-control and a complete gentleman. After a few more minutes alone in the dark, I heard him sigh and sit up.

"Good sleep?" I asked, grinning at his bed-head.

"I had only the sweetest of dreams." He stood up and sat on the edge of his bed. "It should be around 6:00 p.m… Just in time."

"Time for what?" I questioned.

"I asked you out here for a mission, not just for selfish reasons like your company. For this contract, we need to blend in, and for that, I need a date." Lucien crossed the room, and I heard the rustling of silk. He pulled something from a box, then tugged on a rope hanging from the ceiling. This opened a slit in the roof, allowing the fading twilight light to pour in. I could finally see just what he was holding. In his hands was the most beautiful emerald green dress I had ever seen.

"Oh, it's lovely…" I breathed, following him across the room.

"It's yours, for tonight. We're adopting new identities for a ball to kill."

-- -- ………………………………………… …….. . …………………..

Lucien and I pulled up to the grand house in Cheydinhal in our carriage just as the clock struck 8:00. He helped me out like a gentleman, taking my gloved hand. As he escorted me into the ball, I was struck by the enormity of the golden, glittering hall. It was such a different world than the one I had just come from.

Lucien smiled at me from behind his plain black silk mask that covered only his eyes, but my returning grin felt broken. The sudden change in my heart twisted me sharply, like glass cutting my insides. Something inside me had finally clicked, and I realized that this world of pure luxury, beauty, and elegance would never be mine.

Up until that moment, I had been pulled along with my life like an unconscious undertow, and I had finally realized that everything was not just some game to play. I was in danger constantly, and I would be taking people's lives. Lucien had been my reason that I looked forward to the Brotherhood, but I hardly knew him. I felt as if I had surely known him for at least a year, when in reality, it was little more than a month altogether. From my life on the streets to the Arena to the Dark Brotherhood, my life was nothing but underground schemes and motives of ranks, violence, money, and blood. My eyes welled up against my will, but I swallowed my tears and adjusted my mask.

"Don't fidget with it. These masks are our only disguises; that's why we waited until this moment," Lucien whispered.

"It's just that I finally realized that this all isn't a fairytale… My life is more of a nightmare." I whispered back.

"Annabelle, look at me." Lucien said, pulling me to the side of the crowd. He and I had decided that we would change our names for the ball as not to arouse suspicion. His was West. Lucien put his hands on my shoulders, trailing his thumb around the skin there. "You and I are not meant for the dark life, didn't I tell you that? The only reason we are stuck here are our abilities. Annabelle, you are a beautiful and gentle soul. And I promise you right now that I will do everything in my power to get you out of here."

"Thank you," I whispered, struck otherwise speechless. Lucien crushed me to him, and I buried my face I his chest. After a few moments, he said softly in my ear, "Will you be alright?"

"Yes, thank you. I'm sorry about that."

"Never be sorry to show your feelings. Now, let's find our mark." Lucien walked off, leaving me standing there out on the dance floor struck completely dumb. How strange… This man cared enough for me to help me escape from this life, yet he could walk away like nothing had ever happened. I put a hand to my face, thinking, and followed him through the crowd. I had just caught up with him when I heard it.

"_There… Behind you…_" It hissed. The same voice that I had heard in the Sanctuary, whenever I saw Leonelle.

"Who said that?" I said, spinning around wildly. No one but a few women in gowns stood near me, none of who could use such a frightening voice unnoticed by her peers.

_Don't you see him? He's over there, in the black suit and the gold mask._

"Lucien?" I asked, turning. He studied my face cautiously before replying.

"What did you say, Annabelle?"

"Oh, I don't know what I'm saying… I'm sorry, I thought I heard someone say that name," I lied. My palms were sweating with my increased heart rate. Lucien put his hand on my arm, probably trying to appease me.

_The gold mask! He is the one you must kill!_

"Oh, I'm feeling rather dizzy…" I told Lucien. "Perhaps I should get a drink and sit down." The room did spin wildly, though it was a production of my own nerves rather than heat or illness.

I could not be having two breakdowns in one night. I had always prided myself on being such a strong soul, carrying great burdens and never showing any sign of stress. On one of the most important nights that I needed to keep my calm I was crashing down! Lucien would think I was crazy, and would never invite me back on a mission…

Maybe I was crazy. I _was_ hearing voices after all…That could hardly be considered normal. Could one person take on so much? Could this be my body telling me that I was not cut out to be in the assassin's guild?

Lucien nodded and watched my back as I walked to the refreshment table. It was draped with a luxurious gold-colored tablecloth and was littered with tiny hors d'oeuvres and champagne flutes. I reached for a bottle but before I could grab it, a gloved hand snatched it from me. I looked up, surprised.

_That's him… Death is near... Kill him._

It was the gold-masked man that the voice in my mind had told me about only minutes before. He had eyes the color of the ocean at night, which was only intensified by the contrasting mask. He leisurely took a champagne flute by stem and poured a glass.

"Is such a beautiful lady here on her own? Surely I would have recognized you or your escort…" He told me, handing me the flute.

"Thank you. My escort is somewhere around here…" I laughed nervously. "It's a lovely party, isn't it?"

"Yes, my brother throws it every year. It's all kind of a bore, really."

"Oh, you live here?" I gasped, looking around once more. "You have such a beautiful home."

"Thank you, Miss….?"

"Annabelle. And you?"

"Mysterious, a lady with only a first name…" He mused, grinning. He really was quite handsome, with dirty-blonde hair and blue eyes. "I am Maxwell Graves. People call me Max for short."

"Nice to meet you." I replied, smiling.

"The pleasure is all mine, I assure you." He bent and took my free hand in his, kissing it in a bow. "Surely your escort would not mind one dance without you?"

_"Dance with him. Lucien has seen you and knows when to strike. This is your mark…_" The voice grated in my head.

"I'm sure he would be fine," I told him, taking his arm as he led me to the dance floor. I set down my drink on a nearby table before Max swept me into a waltz.

He was a very skilled dancer, smooth and precise in his movements. I laughed as he dipped me, and we flew around the dance floor. His hand on the small of my back started to slip lower and lower down my side until he was no longer touching my back at all.

"Max…" my voice caught in my throat. I wasn't sure I wanted to kill him yet, but I had to muffle the urges still left by my Arena days to punch him below the chin.

"Annabelle, what's the problem? I'm a rich man, you're a beautiful lady. Now hush, or something bad might happen." His hold tightened around my hand, almost crushing it. I could feel my joints strain in his vise-like grip. "We wouldn't want anything bad to happen to that pretty face of yours."

I let out an inaudible whimper and turned my face away.

The waltz soon ended, and he shifted his arm around my waist.

"What do you say we take this party somewhere more quiet? A little more private…" he said, guiding me into a back hallway and closing the door behind us.

_Good. Now that we are away from the other guests, Lucien can attack…_

"Max, what are you doing?" I whispered as he pulled me down the hall.

"I'm getting to know you better, that's all. Now be quiet." I kept my eyes open for Lucien, yet he was nowhere in sight. In fact, there was not a soul in this deserted corridor but the two of us. Max soon came to a wooden door, pushing me roughly inside. It was unexpected and I hit the ground with a thud.

He locked the door behind him and said, "Get on the bed." I realized in horror that we were in a large bedroom with a huge sprawling bed pushed on one side. Adrenaline flooded my veins and the violence that had been suppressed by fear earlier took over me. I stood shakily to my feet, pretending to meekly follow his orders. He followed close behind. I stood next to the bed, and he said, "Well? What are you waiting for?"

I answered with a roundhouse kick to his stomach, and a simple word.

"This."

Max doubled over on the ground, and I ran to the door. Just as I bent got the handle, someone tackled me from behind.

"You crazy bitch!" Max yelled, holding me to the ground.

"Get…off… of me!" I cried. I struggled against him, my sharp heels clawing helplessly at his legs. "Please, stop!"

"Not… a chance…" he grunted, sitting on top of my chest to hold me down. He took my hands above my head, holding them with one hand while the other dug through a nearby wardrobe for something.

I cried inwardly for Lucien, still trying to struggle against the impossible weight pressing down on me. Soon, Max found what he was looking for—a rope.

"You're going to pay for that kick to the gut, Annabelle." He tied my hands together above my head, and threw me onto the bed like a sack of cornmeal. I tried to make a mad dash off of it, finding leverage on my knees and elbows.

"Oh no you don't," Max said, looping the rope through one of the posts on the bed. It was tied tight; no matter how hard I pulled, I could not break free. A dry sob escaped my throat. I had escaped from Ruidri back in the Arena, only to be hurled into the bed of Max. He got more rope from his dresser, and as he approached me, I managed to land a kick under his chin. Is face flew backwards, but he caught my foot. A bit of blood trickled from under his chin, making him seem even more terrifying.

"You are definitely going to pay for that one dearly," he said again, spreading my legs and tying my ankles to opposite posts on the bottom of the bed.

"Mad, no…" I wept, this time tears trickling down my face. It caused the material of my mask to stick to my face, yet I prayed he would not remove it.

"Where's your escort now, darling?" he asked in a disgusting voice. Max untied the silk ribbon that held his mask on, letting me see his face for the first time. He was still handsome, but horribly so.

I begged my miracle would come.

**Cliff-hanger! Ha ha. Reviews are appreciated.**

**--Fracture-Girl**


	12. Discovery

**Chapter 12! Yay! Sorry for the long wait, but I hope you find this chapter worth it! : D**

Max had a crazed look in his eyes as he kneeled over me. He touched under his chin gingerly, his fingers coming back bloody.

"Oh you are definitely going to pay, Annabelle," he said roughly, wiping the blood on my leg. The black shape appeared so swiftly behind him that if I hadn't known better, I would have thought it a figment of my imagination. My body relaxed immediately and I gave an unconscious sigh of relief. Max looked confused for just a moment at my reaction, then his eyes rolled up into his head, blood leaking from his eyes, nose, and mouth.

"No, you are," said the most perfect voice in the world. Lucien caught Max before he collapsed on top of me and threw his limp body to the ground.

"Oh Quindi, I am so sorry," he whispered to me, slicing the restraining ropes with a knife. "I thought he would take you to his main bedroom, where he's taken girls in the past. I was waiting there, and then when you both didn't show up, I backtracked. Then I heard a noise in here, one of the maid's bedrooms." He pulled me to my feet as I massaged my wrists where the ropes had dug into them. "Quindi, I was almost too late. I am so, so sorry."

"Lucien, it's okay." I melted into his chest as he wrapped his arms around me.

"How is it okay? You were almost…" He rested his chin on top of my head. "And I let it happen."

"But it didn't happen, Lucien. You still rescued me."

"I'm so sorry…" he kept whispering into my hair. I held him for a while, but I knew that there was more time for apologies later.

"Lucien, we have to get rid of the body." I said quietly into his chest. Sighing, he unwrapped himself from me, and knelt to the floor. I helped him wrap Max's corpse in the bed sheets and then silently push it out the window.

"Oh, my dress…" I said. The bottom part of the gown had been ripped off in the struggle. "Oh, I'm sorry, you bought it…"

"Quindi, who cares about a dress, when you're safe?" he asked. I found the scrap that had been ripped off and I wiped Max's blood from my leg onto it. Lucien opened the door for me after checking if the coast was clear.

It wasn't the cost of the dress I was worried about; the first thing Lucien had bought for me had been ruined. It was too bad, but the rip might be even more significant as a souvenir of the night.

We slipped through the doors and weaved our way through the partygoers, eventually arriving outside. We didn't wait for our carriage to arrive out front, but instead snuck into the woods outside the house. He took my hand easily, as if we were just a regular couple without a care in the world. I could taste the sweetness of the summer air, light around us. It felt like everything was going right, nothing less than ideal.

"It might be a long walk since we're not taking the carriage," Lucien said. "We could stay in the Sanctuary, it's probably closer."

"No, I'd rather stay in the fort with you."

"I'm glad. I just hope your feet are all right in those heels." We both looked down at my shoes, then burst out laughing.

"So, Lucien… I may have another question for you," I said.

"Oh, might you?"

"Yes... You explained everything about being a Speaker, but I'd like to hear more about the Listener."

"Well I told you that they can hear Sithis and the Night Mother, and that they distribute their information and orders to everyone else," he said.

"Yes, but how does that person communicate with them? Do they have to pray, or drink a potion, cast a spell? Or do they just hear them in their thoughts?"

"You know, I've never asked… Perhaps you would like to meet him? I'm sure he could answer your questions better than I can."

"Oh, that would be great!" I gave Lucien a quick hug, then paused. "Wait, is that allowed? I just joined and all, I'm not a super-important member like you are."

"Yes Quindi, I'm sure it will be fine," he said, chuckling. We continued to walk through the woods hand in hand, trusting blindly that Lucien knew where he was going. The moon and the stars seemed to cast a white haze into the deep black night, a protective halo around every tree and shrub.

"How is Sanctuary life?" Lucien asked after a while.

"It's good for the most part. I don't see most of the members very often. Vicente seems quite nice; we talk a lot since he's always there during the day. Most everyone seems friendly."

"Most?" Lucien picked up on the key word that I didn't necessarily want him to hear.

"Well, Leonelle doesn't strike me as the warm and fuzzy type…" I began.

"Ah, Leonelle."

I looked up at him, his face in an odd expression. When he noticed that I was looking, he turned toward me and grinned, putting his arm over my shoulder and pulling me to his side.

"Don't worry about Leonelle. She's always been known to not take well to new members, especially ones that show great talent," he said. I felt as though he left something unsaid, some reason for the confusing expression.

"Don't you ever get lonely out in that fort by yourself?" I asked, changing the subject for his benefit, and maybe for mine. He laughed quietly.

"Sometimes the darkness can get tiresome," he answered simply.

We arrived at the fort soon after that, going through the hidden boulder entrance. There were no stars to light his bedroom, so the blackness was staggering. We carefully climbed down the ladder in the dark after I tossed my heels through the trap door. When I reached the bottom, I heard Lucien's voice from across the room.

"One moment, I'll light the lamps." After the first was lit, I saw that he was doing it with matches.

"I have an idea," I said, grinning. I pointed at the lamps, picturing fire as hard as I could; the hissing pops it made in a camp fire, the warmth it gave to your skin, the sweet smell of hickory smoke, the light it gave to the darkness. One by one, the lamps flared up, and I smiled happily to myself. Lucien looked at me with another unfathomable expression, this one made of disbelief and something else I couldn't put my finger on.

"Quindi, you just lit the lamps with your mind."

"Yes… Haven't you ever seen someone do that before? I mean, I've never tried it until now. But my mother used to teach me spells, since our family has ancestor guardians, but that was the first time I tried fire…"

"You have an amazing ability… That was your first time? Do you know the spell?" he asked.

"Spell? No, I just pictured fire." His jaw dropped open, but he recovered quickly.

"You pictured fire. And it lit the lamps. I've never heard of someone who could do that since… Wait, you can do spells, and you have an ancestor guardian? Why didn't you use that on Max?"

My eyes widened as I realized my own stupidity. I had all the tools to easily defeat him in my own mind. But I knew that I could cast spells… I had been listening to that voice that I heard in my mind. It had told me that Lucien would strike because I had gotten Max away from the party. Had I been waiting for him to save me?

"I… I don't know…" I said, hand wiping away the angry tear that escaped when I thought of my own failure. Lucien crossed the room swiftly, enveloping me in his arms.

"Hey, I'm sorry… It wasn't I that was in danger; in that kind of situation, your thinking can be completely muddled," he whispered to me.

"It's all right," I whispered back, glad that no other tears came. He kissed the top of my head gently, then said softly, "What am I going to do with you?" We both chuckled, then he pulled back.

"I'd like to get out of these clothes, if you don't mind," he said.

"I agree. No matter how nice we look, our style is more cloth and leather, not satin and lace." I got some clothes from my pack: a peasant blouse that I had gotten from a pirate in Imperial City and my soft leather pants.

"Follow me, I'll show you where the main bathroom is," he said, leading me through an iron door and into a long hallway. I walked beside him, and we soon came to another iron door. This hallway was lit with torches, probably the work of his skeleton guards.

"Here we are. I trust you can find your way back," he said, beginning to retreat.

"Wait… I have a small favor to ask."

"Oh, what might that be?"

I blushed crimson as I thought of what I was about to say. "Can you unbutton my dress for me? I can't reach the back buttons…"

"Of course," he said softly, stepping to me. I turned around slowly, and he pulled my hair off of my neck and over my shoulder, kissing under my ear and then my neck. Lucien unbuttoned each one painfully slowly, kissing a different spot each time. Finally he came to the last button down on my waist. Instead of kissing somewhere, he ran his fingers from the bottom of my spine to the top. The unexpected gesture caused me to shiver, hands going over my shoulders to his jaw.

I turned around once more, expecting a light, sweet kiss like we had done before, but Lucien crushed me to his chest. My hands wound around his neck, this kiss as innocent as a Dark Brotherhood member. My skin burned where his hands touched my back, my arms, and my face, yet I didn't want it to end. I let one hand slide down his chest, making him press his lips to mine more fervently. His mouth left mine for a moment, lips brushing along my jaw and down my neck until they landed on my collarbone. His hands slid slowly down my arms and stopped at my hips.

I crumpled to the floor to a kneeling position like he was doing. Somehow, we lay on our sides, pressed close together. Lucien's hand skimmed down my back until he slid his hand inside of my dress to trace my shoulder blades and hips. I rested both hands on his chest until he suddenly pulled me on top of him. My eyes fluttered open in surprise, and my mouth left his momentarily. Instead of taking advantage of my movement, he seemed to sense that this was far enough to go for one night. Instead, he simply wrapped his arms around me, securing me to his chest. I snuggled into him as our breathing slowly returned to normal.

Lucien moved one hand to my chin, causing me to meet his gaze. We were both grinning, our smiles completely unrestrained.

"I love you, Quindi McQuade," he said, his eyes never leaving mine.

"I love you too, Lucien Lachance."

And with that, he kissed me again.


	13. Surprises

**Author's Note: **

**Reviews and E-mail:**

**I've hardly been getting any reviews lately, and I think this is because of Fan Fiction showing up in the junk mail folder of peoples' inboxes. I hope this reaches everyone, because I know I have almost 30 people with alert subscriptions and I don't want you guys to miss out! Also, if this isn't an e-mail problem, I hope you all will keep reviewing! Without reviews, I don't know if I'm losing readers, gaining readers, or just writing blah stuff. Tell me what you like and what I can improve on.**

**Lucien's Talkative Nature:**

**I've gotten a few comments in the past on how in the game, he's more dark and quiet. This Lucien in my story is younger than the one in the game though, and (hint hint) something may happen to change his easy, happy chatty-ness. But we'll just have to wait and see. **

**Hits:**

**My story has reached over 4700 hits, so thank you everyone who reads! I also appreciate all of you who added me to your Story Alert, Favorite Story, or Favorite Author lists. You guys rock! **

"Are you ready, Quindi?" Lucien asked, offering me his hand. It had been three days since the ball—three wonderful days of bliss when we could ride Shadowmere and take walks, watch the sun set and rise, and be ourselves without worrying about any marks to complete or ranks to climb—and Lucien was keeping to his promise of taking me to see the Listener.

"I'm ready." I answered, walking forward into the shrouded room with him. Lucien had told me that the Listener knew things that no one else could know, acts and thoughts that occurred in the smallest, darkest corner in the latest hour. Since Sithis could communicate with him, the Listener could know everything that the Dark Spirit knew.

The room smelled faintly of mildew, lingering cigarette smoke, and the loneliness that comes with learning the burden of great knowledge, and was dark except for the circles of light of scant torches around the room and a small lantern in the center.

"Ah, Lucien Lachance... I haven't seen you around here in quite some time," said the figure that stepped from the recesses of the almost cave-like room. He was bent over slightly, relying on a cane to help his movements. His voice was deliberate and slow, with the trembling and lips sticking to his teeth that was common with so many years. His age was not truly revealed until his face was lit by the lantern's glow, and although the Listener's face was carved with wrinkles, his eyes were alert and sharp as those of a hawk's. "And you, you are Quindi McQuade. Come here, let me get a look at you." He motioned us closer with his walking stick, and we followed him to the lamp's light.

"Nice to meet you," I said, giving him a polite nod and half-bow.

"I'm not royalty, there's no need for that," he said, grunting as he settled into one of the cushions on the floor. "Sit down."

Lucien and I sat.

"Now, what have you come here for?" the Listener asked. "Well, I see you have some questions for me, and you are eager to ask them. But before you do, please let me see your hand."

I gave him my palm, and his hands shook slightly as he gazed at it, then into my eyes.

"I see something great in you. A pure soul marred by an evil encounter that has left its mark… There's something dark that just began to swirl inside you, and that will soon come to light. There's something that needs power in your heart, something that thirsts for grandeur and greatness that is not entirely your spirit. You have a future ahead of you, and great decisions to make, and difficult things that you have to do. You must listen to the voice inside you, even if it does not belong to you." The Listener gave me a knowing look as he said the last line, patting my arm.

"The voice…" I began. "What if it tells me to something that doesn't make sense, that is impossible to know?"

"How is it possible that I can communicate with Sithis and the Night Mother? How is it possible that I knew all of that about you?"

"But—"

"Anything is possible," he said, with such gravely definity that I had to trust him. Lucien watched this unfold from behind me, one eyebrow rising at some words. The speaker dropped my hand. "You may ask your questions now."

"Oh, yes. Thank you. I know you can speak with Sithis, and I was wondering… how you did that," I said, stumbling slightly over the words.

"Ah, I thought that would be foremost on your mind." He took a swig out of a bottle, then offered it to Lucien and me. We politely shook our heads. "In the beginning, things were different. Sithis and the Night Mother were communicated with through spells or potions that allowed the Two to become almost human, their voices resounding through all of the sanctuaries. More solid than ghosts yet wispier than humans, they were able to have a presence in the guild. However, select members took this knowledge and used it for evil more powerful than our usual ministrations. They tried to become the leaders of the Brotherhood, and almost succeeded in erasing Sithis Himself. Things had to be altered.

"In our time, the method of communication is a less uniting one, but a wiser one in the long term. Sithis will choose a member that he finds particularly adept, and will speak with them, through them. The Listener will hear His voice in their mind."

I froze, the words shooting through me with barely time for comprehension. I was bewildered and in shock, yet a small part of me felt warm. The little bit of darkness that had curled inside of me was happy to know that I wasn't crazy, although that little bit had known it all along. This explained everything that I had been wondering about in the past few weeks. How else could I have known about the target at the ball? There was only one real answer.

I could communicate with Sithis. I was the next Listener.

"But, how do you know?" I choked out. "How do you know that you're not just insane, having delusions? How do you know that you're really hearing Sithis?"

There was a long moment of silence before the Listener spoke.

"There is… a test…" The Listener said in a carefully deep voice, riddled with age and wisdom. "…to make sure that the incidents of the past are not repeated, and that there has truly been a new Listener chosen by the greater Powers."

"What is it?" I leaned forward, desperately eager.

"Only the ones who carry the possibility inside them must know of the details, Quindi."

I gingerly took Lucien's hand, and he gave me a reassuring squeeze.

"Well then…" I said, voice free of shakes. "I can know the details."

-- -- -- -- --

"Almost there…" Lucien whispered in my ear. I couldn't see anything, as he was leading me with his hands over my eyes, but I didn't mind. I trusted Lucien with my life.

"You didn't have to do this, you know…I'm happy just being with you, I don't need anything else," I said. Lucien's breath tickled the back of my neck as he turned us left.

"I want you to have something from me, so that I'm always with you. And I want you to be thinking of me, of course," he said. I chuckled, then he stopped walking. "Here we are. Now keep your eyes closed, don't ruin the surprise. Put your arms out."

His hands left my face, but I followed his instructions. My fingertips grazed something silky, thick and warm. I felt Lucien put his hands on my shoulders as he said softly, "Open your eyes."

I did, and gasped. In front of me was the most beautiful horse I had ever seen. He was strong, muscle and tendons visible beneath the shiny, deep dark-chocolate colored coat. He was heavily-built and could easily break ribs if he was angry, but I could sense a gentleness and sweetness in his alert black eyes. The horse pushed his nose into my stomach and snorted. I laughed, petting him.

"He's beautiful…" I whispered to Lucien. "I love him."

Lucien's hands slid down my arms, and he sighed happily into my neck.

"I'm so glad."

"Thank you," I said, stroking the horse again before turning to face Lucien. His smile was so beautiful that it almost hurt. I would miss him so much until I saw him again. As if he read my mind, he crushed me to him and said, "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. So much." I nuzzled into him, pulling him closer. I was returning to the Sanctuary in Cheydinhal the next day, leaving the place that I had lived and loved in for the past week. The Listener had told me to go back, to stay there and go on a mission alone before I could be trusted with the secrets. I knew that I had Sithis inside of me, and I knew that I could accomplish the mark. It just killed me inside when I knew that I would be apart from Lucien for over a week. Ever since we had said "I love you," we were together every moment, always holding hands and smiling.

"What's his name?" I asked, Lucien kissing me just below my ear.

"Nocturne." He gave me a gentle kiss on my mouth, then continued. "A wild one, like Shadowmere."

"You tamed him? That must have taken weeks," I murmured against his lips.

"Since I met you in the woods." He grinned so broadly and beautifully that my breath actually hitched, then he captured my mouth more fervently than before. My hands tangled in his hair as we deepened the kiss, and his came to the small of my back. The moment was so utterly and genuinely sweet that my heart felt like it would burst. It was marred only by the sun coming up over the horizon, and Lucien sighed and pulled back slightly.

"Time to go?" I guessed. He nodded, then helped me up onto Nocturne. He climbed on behind me, tracing from my neck to my hips, then down my legs to my knees with his hands. I shivered, not being able to help sinking into his chest. I heard him laugh quietly as we set off into the dawn towards the fort. I took the reigns, happy to see that Nocturne was well-trained and quite fast. I enjoyed riding through the wooded path with the wind in my face. Lucien's gift was perfect.

Even though it was a beautiful early morning with a peach-hued sky, I couldn't concentrate fully on what was going on around me. Lucien had relentlessly kept up his little touches and kisses since we had begun our ride, and went so far as to place half of his hand under the bottom of my shirt. If he was trying to get me hot and bothered, he was doing a good job.

After what seemed like a much longer ride than it really was, we arrived at the fort. Lucien swiftly jumped off of the horse, then proceeded to hold me, straddling his waist, for much longer than necessary when he "helped" me off. We left Nocturne with Shadowmere inside of the fort's deteriorating corral-like ring of walls and went downstairs to Lucien's bedchambers. I quickly went off to the bathroom as Lucien turned on the lamps inside the bedroom. I knew my way around well now, not needing Lucien's directions anymore. This crumbling, dark fort had become more of a home to me than I had ever had before. I combed my hair, thankful that it dried mostly straight after I had washed it earlier, and brushed my teeth. I bit my lip, debating whether or not to change into my nightclothes. Lucien's breathtaking smile crossed my mind, and I shakily changed into an embroidered silk tank top and shorts. I took a deep breath to steady myself, then set off to Lucien's bedroom.

I saw that only half of the lamps were lit inside, which made everything glow in a soft and subdued light. Lucien too was wearing his nightclothes, one of his pairs of cotton black pants. Our eyes met and we smiled at each other as I crossed the room. He was lying on top of his bed instead of on the bedroll next to it, and I lay down next to him. His eyes were smoldering, and I couldn't look away from his perfectly carved face even if I had wanted to. Lucien immediately pulled me to his chest with his arm around my waist, and I cupped his cheek.

"How long will you be gone again?" Lucien asked, although he knew the answer. I chuckled softly and he continued. "After having you here for so long, it's going to be strange without you."

"I'll be back as soon as I can," I promised. "I love you, Lucien."

"I love you too." He captured my lips with a powerful kiss, and we seemed to melt together. Maybe it was the tang of summer turning into fall into the air, or the true bittersweet essence of our parting that made our last night so special. But as I rode Nocturne back to the Sanctuary in the night, my heart felt heavy not of sadness but of love.

**I'll be posting another chapter pretty soon I think, I had a flash of inspiration. Reviews are much appreciated, and I hope you're enjoying the story!**


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